Making Macroeconomic Decisions

One problem with macroeconomic policy is the inability to confirm that it does or does not work. With variables constantly in motion, an entire economy as your lab, and no way to keep anything constant, how to know if you are doing the right thing?

This takes me to a Pew Research Center survey. A Pew questionnaire sent to 1001 adults confirmed that we all agree that state spending is a big problem. It also confirmed that we can solve the problem by cutting spending on highways, health services, public safety, and school funding. Or, we can raise taxes.

Yes? Not quite. For every solution, more than 50% voted “no”. Furthermore, with the possibility of a double dip, some say now is the worst time to implement “austerity”. Others say “austerity” is the only solution.

Decisions about state spending parallel federal dilemmas. Do we need more stimulus spending or has government spent too much already? We have no definitive empirical data to provide guidance.

The Economic Lesson

Since our nation began, we have disagreed about economic policy. George Washington had to cope with the ongoing feud between Secretary of the Treasury Hamilton and Secretary of State Jefferson. Hamilton was for a more interventionist government to spur economic development. Jefferson, by contrast, wanted less. And yet Hamilton’s goals are the same as today’s non government/market advocates.